Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
  • C12P—FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIRED CHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERS FROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE
  • C12P7/00—Preparation of oxygen-containing organic compounds
  • C12P7/02—Preparation of oxygen-containing organic compounds containing a hydroxy group
  • C12P7/04—Preparation of oxygen-containing organic compounds containing a hydroxy group acyclic
  • C12P7/06—Ethanol, i.e. non-beverage
  • C12P7/08—Ethanol, i.e. non-beverage produced as by-product or from waste or cellulosic material substrate
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C07—ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
  • C07C—ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
  • C07C31/00—Saturated compounds having hydroxy or O-metal groups bound to acyclic carbon atoms
  • C07C31/02—Monohydroxylic acyclic alcohols
  • C07C31/08—Ethanol
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
  • C12M—APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS
  • C12M21/00—Bioreactors or fermenters specially adapted for specific uses
  • C12M21/12—Bioreactors or fermenters specially adapted for specific uses for producing fuels or solvents
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
  • C12M—APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS
  • C12M43/00—Combinations of bioreactors or fermenters with other apparatus
  • C12M43/02—Bioreactors or fermenters combined with devices for liquid fuel extraction; Biorefineries
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
  • Y02E50/00—Technologies for the production of fuel of non-fossil origin
  • Y02E50/10—Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel

Definitions

• the invention relates to a method for preparing an ethanol/water mixture as defined in the preamble of claim 1, in which method fermentable sugars or raw materials capable of being hydrolyzed into fermentable sugars are used as ethanol, and the etha- nol/water mixture thus formed is controlled.
• the invention relates to an apparatus as defined in the preamble of claim 11 and use as defined in the preamble of claim 16.
• Waste waters and waste produced by industry and communities and containing various fermentable sugars or compounds capable of being converted into fermentable sugars can be treated by using them as ethanol, which reduces the BOD and COD loads contained in the waste waters of industry and communities, and reduces the amount of carbohydrates in waste.
• Ethanol prepared from waste and waste waters can be refined to suite various uses.
• the problem is that the waste and minor flows suited for preparing ethanol often are dis- persed, whereby their transportation and costs associated with transportation create an obstacle to economical operations.
• the known industrially applied preparation processes of ethanol that are based on fermentation are relatively big in capacity, about 10,000 - 150,000 tons of ethanol/year .
• a part of the plants is based on batch fermentation and an ever increasing part in continuous fermentation.
• Fermented ethanol can be dis- tilled to be e.g. 95 percent by weight or to be a thinner ethanol/water mixture using a distillation apparatus.
• a distillation apparatus usually comprises stripping which is used to separate the mash from the ethanol/water mixture.
• Distillation is usually a one or multi-stage batch or continuous distillation. Evaporated distillate can be liquefied using condensers.
• the non-fermented protein-, sugar- and yeast- containing solid matter as well as the ethanol-free mash or syrup after the stripping can be separated and used as animal fodder.
• carbon dioxide is formed that can be separated from the gaseous phase flowing out of the fermenter using e.g. a gas meter.
• sugar- containing, non-exploitable waste and waste waters with a relatively high COD value are produced.
• the mash does not always meet the requirements set by fodder suppliers, whereby it must be treated in some other manner, such as by burning or disposing of and replacing.
• One specific objective of the invention is to disclose a novel type of method and apparatus for preparing ethanol from waste for practical use such as using as a fuel or solvent .
• the method and apparatus of the invention are characterized by what has been described in the claims .
• the invention is based on a method for preparing an ethanol/water mixture, in which fermentable raw materials selected from sugars and raw materials capable of being hydrolyzed into fermentable sugars, and the necessary auxiliary substances are fed into a reactor. Auxiliary substances include air.
• the raw materials are fed into the reactor, and from the fermen- tation solution thus formed, the ethanol/water mixture is separated in an evaporator, and the non-fermented matter is removed from the reactor.
• the reactor fermentation solution is continuously being fed to a first falling- film evaporator while the fermentation is going on.
• the ethanol/water mixture is evaporated in the first falling-film evaporator, and the evaporate obtained from the evaporator is condensed and the condensed ethanol/water mixture is concentrated in a second fal- ling-film evaporator, which is arranged in series with the first falling-film evaporator. From the second evaporator, water is removed as underflow; and the non-volatile matter is removed from the first evaporator and is recycled to the reactor.
• the method is specifically based on a) the use of two or more consecutive falling-film evaporators, by means of which it is possible to separate ethanol/water vapor (the evaporate of the second evaporator) and relatively pure water (the underflow of the second evaporator) from the fermentation solution; b) on recycling of non-volatile matter from the first evaporator to the reactor, whereby the non- fermented sugar in the matter is recycled in a more concentrated form to the reactor thereby accelerating the fermentation for its part; and c) on the possibility allowed by the use of falling-film evaporators to affect the concentrations and amounts of non-fermented matter, e.g. the concentrations of dry matter and ethanol .
• no fermentable sugars or carbohydrates capable of being hydrolyzed into fermentable sugars are discharged from the process.
• the reactor is a fermentation vessel.
• the water being separated in the second falling-film evaporator is preferably recycled more than once in the second evaporator for minimizing the ethanol concentration of water prior to discharging the water from the evapora- tor.
• the fermentation solution is fed from the reactor into a solid matter separator, in which solid matter- containing sludge is separated from the fermentation solution; and from the solid matter separator, the fermentation solution is fed into the first falling- film evaporator.
• the solid matter- containing sludge, separated in the solid matter separator is recycled to the reactor.
• the solid matter-containing sludge, separated in the solid matter separator is removed from the process.
• the method uses more than two series-connected falling- film evaporators for separating and concentrating the ethanol/water mixture.
• the ethanol/water mixture is concentrated to a content of 35 - 65 wt% ethanol, in a preferred embodiment to a content of about 40 - 50 wt% ethanol.
• the condensation can be performed between the evaporators and/or after each evaporator.
• the water, free water, dry matter contents, and the ethanol content of the so-called residual mat- ter produced in conjunction with the preparation of ethanol, as well as the concentrations of fermentable sugars and sugars capable of being hydrolyzed into fermentable sugars can be affected prior to removal of the residual matter from the process (a) in the fermentation phase by feeding the solution obtained from the solid matter separator into the first falling-film evaporator for recovering the ethanol; (b) in the discharge phase, by feeding the solid matter obtained from the solid matter separator out of the process when the ethanol content of the solution to be fed from the solid matter separator into the first evapo- rator has dropped; c) in the fermentation and discharge phase, by keeping feeding the water contained in the second falling-film evaporator back into the evaporator until the ethanol content of water has decreased.
• the invention is based on an apparatus for preparing an ethanol/water mixture, the apparatus including a reactor, e.g. a fermentation vessel, into which the raw materials and the necessary auxiliary substances are fed and in which the raw ma- terials are used as a fermentation solution; an evaporator which separates the ethanol/water mixture from the fermentation solution; a conduit for discharging the fermentation solution from the reactor and feeding it into the evaporator, and an exhaust pipe for dis- charging the non-fermented matter from the reactor.
• a reactor e.g. a fermentation vessel, into which the raw materials and the necessary auxiliary substances are fed and in which the raw ma- terials are used as a fermentation solution
• an evaporator which separates the ethanol/water mixture from the fermentation solution
• a conduit for discharging the fermentation solution from the reactor and feeding it into the evaporator and an exhaust pipe for dis- charging the non-fermented matter from the reactor.
• the apparatus includes a first falling-film evaporator for separating the ethanol/water mixture from the fermentation solution and a second falling-film evaporator for concentrating the ethanol/water mixture; and the second falling-film evaporator is arranged in series with the first falling-film evaporator; a condenser for condensing the ethanol/water mixture obtained from the first evaporator prior to feeding it into the second evaporator; an exhaust pipe for discharging the water from the second evaporator as underflow; and a conduit for removing the non-volatile matter from the first evaporator and recycling it to the reactor.
• the apparatus includes a solid matter separator, which is ar- ranged between the reactor and the first falling-film evaporator and in which solid matter-containing sludge is separated from the fermentation solution prior to feeding the fermentation solution into the first falling-film evaporator.
• the apparatus includes a recycling pipe for recycling the solid matter-containing sludge from the solid matter separator to the reactor.
• the appa- ratus includes more than two series-connected falling- film evaporators for separating and concentrating the ethanol/water mixture.
• the devices of the apparatus are preferably integrated into one whole.
• An ethanol/water mixture prepared using the method described above can be used as a constituent of a fuel such as gasoline or diesel, so that the ethanol/water mixture is concentrated to the desired etha- nol content, and the concentrated ethanol mixture is mixed with the other fuel constituents to form a predetermined fuel mixture.
• the ethanol/water mixture is further refined by concentrating it so that its ethanol content is more than 85 wt% and preferably in Finland more than 99.7 wt% .
• the ethanol mixture can be mixed with other fuel constituents the desired amount and the amount allowed by legislation and product specifications.
• the ethanol/water mixture of the invention can be prepared from wastes of food industry, including biowaste of stores and waste mass of bakeries, milk processing production or potato processing. Thanks to the invention the output rate of ethanol per fermentation volume can be significantly increased compared to prior-art preparation processes of ethanol.
• the ethanol/water mixture is led out of the fermentation vessel continuously in conjunction with the fermentation. In that case, a bigger fermentation speed is achieved compared to prior-art methods.
• the ethanol/water mixture can be concentrated to form a 35 - 65 wt% ethanol/water mixture, which is a sufficient concentration from the standpoint of further processing, utilization and quality control of ethanol .
• the minor flows in ethanol preparation such as mash, carbon dioxide and pure water
• ethanol preparation such as mash, carbon dioxide and pure water
• the amount of volume of fermentation waste, such as mash is lesser compared to the prior-art processes.
• the invention enables one to better affect the quality of the minor flows being produced and the amount and quality of the water to be obtained as a co-product. For example, carbon dioxide emissions are considerably lower compared to the prior-art methods .
• the method of the invention is simpler and requires less control in use, specifically in the category less than 10,000 tons of ethanol per year.
• the apparatus of the invention is simple and can be erected in a place where there are wastes to be made use of.
• the invention contributes to the improvement of transportation logistics because the ethanol/water mixture can be, for example, transported to oil and gasoline terminals in conjunction with the return of gasoline trucks.
• Fig. 1 represents one apparatus of the invention
• Fig. 2 represents a second apparatus of the invention.
• Fig. 3 represents a third apparatus of the invention.
• the output rate of ethanol per fermentation volume can be in- creased compared to the prior-art preparation processes of ethanol.
• the ethanol/water mixture is concentrated to a content of about 50 wt% ethanol.
• Other ethanol/water contents are also possible.
• the minor flows produced in the preparation of ethanol can be utilized, and at the same time the amounts and properties of the minor flows can be controlled.
• the amounts of waste and waste water are small.
• pure water is obtained.
• the falling-film evaporation can be performed at a low pressure and at a low tem- perature, whereby the ethanol-producing microbe present in the fermentation solution to be fed into the evaporator does not die in the conditions of the evaporator.
• evaporation using falling- film evaporators at a low pressure of 0.93 bar enables an evaporation temperature of less than 38 °C.
• e.g. yeast does not die in the conditions of the evaporator prior to being returned to the fermentation vessel. If the ethanol-producing microbe is separated prior to evaporation or if the ethanol-producing mi- crobe is attached to a carrier in the fermentation vessel, i.e.
• falling-film evaporators can be used to concentrate an ethanol/water mixture up to 80 wt% by using recirculation, that is, by returning the condensed evaporate of the evaporators so as to form the feeds for the evaporators.
• the raw material is fed into a fermentation vessel 4 using a conduit 1.
• the necessary auxiliary substances and air can be fed into the fermentation vessel via conduits 2 and 3.
• the content of the fermentation vessel 4 especially the non- fermented matter, can be removed from the process via a conduit 6.
• the gases produced as a result of ethanol fermentation, including mainly C02, are removed from the fermentation vessel 4 via a conduit 5.
• the fermentation solu- tion is fed, using a conduit 7, via a solid matter separator 8, e.g.
• a decanter centrifuge into a first falling-film evaporator 13 using a conduit 12, or directly from the fermentation vessel 4 into the first falling-evaporator 13 using a conduit 9.
• the solid matter-rich sludge is fed back into the fermentation vessel 4 using a conduit 10. If necessary, the solid matter-rich sludge in the solid matter separator 8 can be led out of the process via a conduit 11.
• the evaporate is fed via a conduit 14 into a condenser 16, from which the liquefied flow is introduced via a conduit 17 into a second falling-film evaporator 18.
• the nonvolatile matter is fed into the fermenta- tion vessel via a conduit 15.
• the underflow of the second falling-film evaporator 18, which is mainly water, is removed using a conduit 20.
• the evaporate of the second falling-film evaporator 18 is fed via a conduit 19 into a condenser 21 and from it via a con- duit 22 into a final condenser 23, from which the completely condensed ethanol/water mixture is fed via a conduit 24 into a storage tank 25 of ethanol/water mixture.
• the off-gas of the final condenser is removed from the process via a conduit 26.
• the final condensation 23 is a relatively small flow, and it is possible to use in it a heat exchanger with cold matter circulation that condenses water to about 20 0 C.
• a heat exchanger with cold matter circulation that condenses water to about 20 0 C.
• there is one fermentation vessel but there can be more than one fermentation vessel in series or in parallel.
• there are two falling-film evaporators 13 and 18 in series but there can be more than two falling-film evaporators in series.
• the fermentation vessel 4 has three different run phases: 1) filling 2) fermentation and addition of feed within the limits of the height of the level and 3) discharging of the fermentation vessel.
• the filling phase starts with the feeding of the raw material and the necessary auxiliary sub- stances via conduits 1 and 2 into the fermentation vessel 4. If necessary, to increase the mass of the ethanol-producing microbe, one can feed sterilized air or oxygen into the fermentation vessel via a conduit 3. In the filling phase, conduits 1, 9, and 6 are closed.
• feed is added into the fermentation vessel 4 via a conduit 1 within the limits of the level of the fermentation vessel, the ethanol content of conduit 22, and the sugar content of the fermentable raw material of the fermentation vessel, as well as within the limits of the carbohydrate content of the raw material capable of being hy- drolyzed into fermentable sugars.
• the fermentation solution is fed via a conduit 7 into the solid matter separator 8. If the contamination caused by the solid matter of the fermentation solution is allowed, the fermentation solution is fed via a conduit 9 directly into the falling-film evaporator 13.
• ethanol can be obtained from the fermentation solution to be fed into the storage tank 25, and at the same time, water is discharged from the fermentation solution via conduit 20.
• the evaporation in the falling-film evaporators can be performed at a normal pressure, whereby the temperature of the solution be- ing discharged is about 80 - 85°C, or at a low pressure, e.g. at a low pressure of 0.93 bar, whereby the temperature of the solution being discharged is about 36°C.
• a sufficient low pressure evaporation e.g.
• the ethanol-producing microbe need not necessarily be separated from the solution to be evaporated, but irrespective of the death of the microbes, the solution of the fermentation vessel 4 can be fed into the falling-film evaporator 13 via a conduit 9.
• Fur- thermore the separation is not necessary if the microbe making ethanol, e.g. yeast, is immobilized.
• Using a low pressure in the falling-film evaporators 13 and 18 reduces the need for the necessary evaporation energy, but increases the volume of the condensers 16, 21 and 23 and weakens the heat transfer of the condensers.
• the conduit 12 to the falling-film evaporator 13 can be closed part of the time in the fermentation phase within the limits of the level of the fermenta- tion vessel 4 and within the limits of the flow of the conduit 1. On an average, about 40 wt% ethanol/water mixture is produced to be fed into the product storage tank 25, and it is a sufficient content bearing in mind the further processing.
• the discharge phase the non-fermented matter and/or water formed therein, which weaken the smooth, continuous operation, are discharged from the fermentation vessel 4.
• the discharge phase is completed when the non-fermented matter weakens the fermentation result, and when the fermentable sugars and carbohydrates capable of being hydrolyzed into fer- mentable sugars are exhausted in the fermentation vessel.
• the fermentation solution is fed via the conduit 7 into the solid matter separa- tor 8 and from it via the conduit 12 to the falling- film evaporator 13, or directly to the falling-film evaporator 13.
• the conduit 9 and conduit 12 will be closed, and the sludge is removed from the process via a conduit 11, and the non-fermented matter in the fermentation vessel is removed from the process via a conduit 6.
• condensers 16 and 21 it is possible to use external cooling.
• condenser 23 one has to provide a sufficiently low temperature for the vapor in order that the discharge of ethanol would be as small as possible via a conduit 26.
• the temperature of the fermentation vessel can be adjusted, in other words, cooled, as a main rule.
• Typical whey a co-product of cheese making process, contains lactose 4.8 wt%, which, as such, acts as a substrate for the ethanol making microbe; and e.g. genetically modified yeasts can act as the ethanol making microbe.
• whey contains solid matter less than 3 wt%.
• the ethanol producing microbe has been immobilized in the fermentation vessel by means of prior-art technology, whereby the falling-film evaporators 13 and 18 and the condensers 16, 21 and 23 act at air pressure in a temperature range 80 - 90°C.
• the non-fermented matter can be used as juice fodder the carbohydrate content of which is lower than previously, but the protein content considerably bigger than previously.
• the outlet flow 24 is 0.054 kg/s and the ethanol content of the outlet flow is 40 wt%.
• the flow 20 is 0.306 kg/s, and consists of nearly pure water.
• the amount of the flow 9 is 1.44 kg/s and its ethanol content is 1.5 wt%, and sugar content 1.8 wt%.
• the reflux 15 of the non-volatile matter is 1.08 kg/s, and it does not contain ethanol, and its sugar content is 2.4 wt% .
• the fermentation solution is cumulated into the fermentation vessel at a rate of 0.54 kg/s, that is, the low sugar content of whey results in a semi-continuous process with the method of the invention, and it is possible to feed whey into the process within the limits of the level of the fermentation vessel 4.
• Waste dough typically contains dry matter about 50 - 60%, of which 60 - 80 wt% is starch originating from grain and about 5 wt% contains different sugars-
• the waste dough has been diluted with water, and the starch contained in it has been hydrolyzed into sugars prior to feeding it into the process of the invention.
• the dry matter and the ethanol producing microbe, which is yeast are separated from the fermentation solution prior to feeding into the falling-film evaporators 13 and 18, whereby the evaporators and the condensers 16, 21 and 23 oper- ate at a normal air pressure in a temperature range 80 - 90°C.
• the non-fermented matter is suited to be used as fodder.
• the outlet flow 24 is 0.0125 kg/s, and the ethanol content of the outlet flow is 40 wt%.
• the flow 20 is 0.0708 kg/s and it is nearly pure water.
• the amount of the flow 12 is 0.166 kg/s and its ethanol content is 3.0 wt% and sugar content 4.0 wt%.
• the reflux 15 of the nonvolatile matter is 0.083 kg/s, and it does not contain ethanol and its sugar content is 9.0 wt% .
• a 35 - 65 wt%, preferably a 40 - 50 wt% ethanol/water mixture to be further processed so as to have the desired ethanol content, for example, to be used as a fuel for vehicles, or as a solvent for various industry processes using ethanol mixtures, or as other uses of ethanol or an ethanol mixture.
• the non-fermented matter/waste in the reactor or fermentation vessel that is produced in the method of the invention can be utilized as animal fodder or as a soil conditioner.

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